Beware of What Lurks in the Dark
by DinerGuy
Summary: A simple off-world training exercise turns out to be not so simple for Carson Beckett.


_This was written for a friend a while back, and I'm just now getting around to posting it online. She requested Carson whump, with something going horribly wrong during some sort of training exercise ... For better or worse, this is the result._

_Disclaimer: Nothing SGA belongs to me. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made._

**WMWMWMWMWMWMWMW**

"Come on, McKay. You sure you don't want to join us?" John Sheppard grinned as he checked the supplies in his backpack one last time.

"Uh, no, thank you," Rodney returned, grimacing slightly. "I'm just fine to stay here – in safe civilization."

"Look, you said the planet was uninhabited, right? Unless there's something you haven't told me, this off-world training weekend will go perfectly fine."

A group of new team members had recently arrived on the Daedalus, and IOA had informed Weir that the additions to the Atlantis team needed to be given hands-on training. IOA wanted the new arrivals to be prepared for the many situations they might encounter in their various trips to the other planets in the Pegasus Galaxy. Despite both John and Elizabeth's objections that there was no feasible way to train the soldiers for every possible scenario, IOA had prevailed.

"What? Oh, yes, it's fine." Rodney looked up from his computer screen. "The scan of the planet just completed; there are no signs of either human or Wraith presence. You're good to go."

"Thanks," John acknowledged, then paused. "Hey, have you seen Beckett?"

"Last I saw, he was in the infirmary, packing supplies," Rodney replied. "I think – Oh, there we go," he interrupted himself as the chief medical officer strode into the Gateroom.

Carson was carrying a backpack in one hand, and a second bag bounced around on his shoulders as he hurried in. "Sorry I'm late," the Scotsman apologized. "There was a minor emergency I had to take care of."

"Anything serious?" John asked in concern, descending the stairs to join the group in front of the gate.

"Just a case of what seems to be exhaustion." Carson gave the taller man a smile. "Dr. Dennis is fine, don't worry," he added, noticing the look on John's face. "My team has everything under control."

"Okay then." John motioned for Chuck to dial the Gate address. "Let's do this."

**WMWMWMWMWMWMWMW**

Several hours later, Carson sat alone beside a small fire. They had set up camp on the wooded planet soon after arrival, and the rest of the group was currently off in the woods, working through some drill or other.

The trip was just a simple wilderness survival exercise, and everyone was expecting it to go smoothly. After all, these soldiers had gone through similar training back on Earth. It would be a walk in the figurative park for them. John had helped Carson put up a small tent, and the doctor stowed his medical supplies inside. While no one foresaw the need for it, having emergency medical support on hand was a necessary precaution.

A rustling sound in the trees nearby caught Carson's attention, and he jumped slightly. Though Rodney had said the planet was uninhabited, they had encountered habitants on other planets that were supposedly empty, and Carson put a hand on his holstered sidearm. He peered into the shadows, the dusk creating a spooky illusion as he tried to make out the source of the noise. Just as he was ready to draw his weapon, one of the soldiers pushed his way into the clearing.

"Hello, Doctor. I'm sorry," the man said, catching sight of Carson's expression. "Did I startle you?"

"You're fine, lad," Carson assured him, relaxing slightly. "I seem to be just a wee bit jumpy tonight."

The man, whom Carson remembered as Benjamin Williams, smiled and nodded then extended his arm. "Do you mind taking a look at this? It's nothing much, but Colonel Sheppard wanted you to check it."

"Ah, no, not at all. Come sit over here." Carson stood from his stool, offering it to the other man.

Once Williams was seated, Carson inspected the man's arm. The sleeve was ripped and bloodied about halfway between the elbow and wrist. "What did you to yourself, son?" Carson asked, rolling up the fabric.

"I just caught it on a low branch. Stupid, I know," Williams chuckled.

"Not at all," Beckett replied, returning from the tent into which he had ducked to retrieve his bag. "And you'll be fine once I get you patched up."

A few minutes later, Carson had just taped off the bandage when a scream rang through the forest, punctuated by several gunshots. Williams shot to his feet, and both men spun, surveying the woods around them for any sign of danger.

"What was that?" Carson asked, his eyes darting around the perimeter of the camp. "Was that … That sounded an awful lot like someone …"

Williams shook his head. "No idea." He tapped his radio. "Colonel Sheppard, this is Williams." After a brief pause, he repeated himself. "Colonel Sheppard, this is Williams. Please respond." There was another moment of silence, then he turned to Carson. "I'm not getting any answer."

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Beckett." Carson tapped his own radio. "Is everything all right?" He didn't get an answer either, even after repeating himself several times. Shaking his head, he looked over at the other man. "I'm not getting anything either."

Williams' face grew more serious as he tried the other three team members. "The radios must be down," he finally stated. "I can't get anyone on this."

"All righty then," Carson sighed, a little nervously. "What do you think that was?"

"Well, there was no reason for them to be firing guns, at least not that I know of," Williams informed him. "We weren't supposed to be doing any sort of firing exercises."

"Then who was shooting, and what were they shooting at? And who screamed?"

Williams checked his gun's clip and started towards the trees. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out."

"Shouldn't you wait a bit?" Carson asked, hurrying to catch up. "At least until you know what's out there?"

"My team might be in trouble, Doctor," Williams said firmly. "I'm going to see if they need me."

Carson sighed and nodded. "Well wait for me then." He hurried back to the tent and slung his bag over one shoulder before rejoining Williams at the treeline. "I'm going with you."

Williams didn't bother to argue, just nodded and headed into the woods with Carson on his heels.

The woods seemed dark and foreboding; what little light that had been visible at the campsite was blocked out by the thick foliage, and Williams had to pull out his flashlight to allow them to see where they were walking.

After about five minutes of silence, Williams paused. Carson pulled up behind him, and both looked around. "This is right where we were when I cut myself," Williams told the doctor, pointing at where a protruding branch was dark and wet. He bent down to examine the ground before straightening and turning to the other man. "They went that way."

"Any ideas why?"

Williams shrugged. "I don't. Doctor McKay said this planet was uninhabited, but maybe there was something here that caused trouble for them. And based on that scream and the gunshots, something did."

Now that they were standing still, away from the warmth of the campfire, the night air was becoming very chilly very fast. Carson couldn't help a small shiver as he looked around. The woods were completely dark by now, and there were small rustlings in the underbrush as various animals went about their nocturnal activities. It seemed much more unfriendly than it had when the group had first stepped through the Gate.

Before Carson could respond, the bushes to their left rustled loudly, as if something large were coming through. Williams spun and aimed his flashlight and gun at the noise just as a large black shape sprung from the brush.

The animal, which closely resembled a large panther, covered the distance in hardly two springs. Several shots reverberated through the small clearing as both men fired at the creature.

It jerked several times before it stopped in its tracks, swaying on its feet for a moment before collapsing to the ground. Williams carefully made his way over to the large cat, keeping his gun trained on it as he approached. He nudged it with his foot, but the animal did not move.

"It's dead," he reported. "But I think we'd better get moving, just in case it's not alone."

Carson nodded quickly. "That's not a happy thought."

The soldier shook his head. "Let's just hope the others came out of their encounter as well as we did." He paused and looked around then turned back to Carson. "We'll head back to the camp. Maybe they returned there once they ran into trouble."

It was slow going as the two picked their way through the bushes and fallen logs, heading back towards the campsite. Even though Carson had his flashlight out as well, the beams didn't do much to illuminate their path. There were constant rustling noises in the underbrush, and several times they could hear the screams of other wild cats in the distance.

Carson shook his head. "When we get back, I'm definitely going to have Rodney update the database on this planet."

Just then, there was a low thud off to their right. Carson turned, aiming his light in the direction from which the sound had come. Peering into the darkness, he didn't notice the log in the path ahead. Before Williams could warn him, Carson was sprawled on the ground. The pain in his leg didn't even register as his surroundings faded away.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed before he heard his name being called. Things were a bit hazy, and it took a moment for him to even realize someone was calling his name. Carson blinked, trying to bring the world back into focus.

The face leaning over him slowly came into view, as Williams' voice registered with his foggy brain. "Doctor Beckett. Doc, are you all right? Can you hear me?"

"Yes …" Carson mumbled, blinking again. "What … what happened?"

"You tripped and hit your head on that rock. Do you know where you are?"

"Off-world … on a training exercise," Carson responded after thinking a moment.

Williams grinned. "Yes sir. Are you feeling all right?"

"Oh, I've been better." Carson tried to sit up, groaning as pain shot up his right leg. "My leg …"

Turning his flashlight to the lower part of Carson's body, Williams inspected the limb. "How badly does it hurt?" he asked.

"Ach, quite a bit," Carson told him. "Careful!"

"Sorry!" Williams removed his hands from the injured leg. "It doesn't seem to be broken, but looks like it's badly sprained."

"Oh lovely," Carson sighed, letting his head drop back to rest on the ground.

Williams reached for Carson's medical bag, which had fallen to the side when the doctor had fallen. He pulled out a bandage and turned back to the other man's leg. "I'm going to take your shoe off so we can wrap this. It might hurt a little."

Taking a deep breath, Carson just nodded. He gritted his teeth as Williams carefully removed the boot from his foot, and the soldier began winding the length of bandage around the injured foot and ankle.

When he was done, Williams tucked Carson's boot into the backpack. He closed it back up and pushed to his feet. "Do you think you can walk?"

"Well, I can certainly try," Carson answered. He accepted the other man's outstretched hand, carefully getting to his feet. The trees spun around him, and he would have collapsed if it weren't for Williams catching him.

"Whoa, easy there," Williams cautioned, grabbing onto Carson's shoulders. "You sure you should be up?"

Carson nodded. "I'll be fine; just give me a second." Something tickled down the side of his face, and he wiped at it. His hand came away bloody. He grimaced and rubbed his fingers together.

"Look, Doc, if it's too much, you don't have to get up."

"No, no, I'm fine. We need to get back to the camp."

"All right, if you're sure." Williams reached down for the medical bag, slinging it onto one arm while still supporting Carson. "Let's go."

The first step was excruciating, and Carson had to pause for a moment before going on. He swallowed hard and took another tentative step, leaning on Williams more than he would have liked. No matter how much he tried to walk normally, his right leg rebelled against having any amount of weight put on it.

He was also fighting nausea. His body insisted on reminding him of its collision with the rock, and he found his vision blackening and spinning.

Vaguely, he felt himself being half-carried, half-dragged a few paces, then he felt a firm, scratchiness at his back as he was eased to the ground. When things cleared up, he found himself leaning against a tree with Williams crouching in front of him.

"I don't think you should be walking around," the soldier told him worriedly. "Whatever you say, you can't make it back by yourself."

This time, Carson didn't argue. His medical training told him he had a concussion, and he knew he needed to stay put. "You … you should get back in case the others are waiting for us."

"I'm not going to leave you here, Doc."

Carson reached out a hand and grasped Williams by the arm. "Listen, man. The radios are down, and I'm injured and need to get back to Atlantis. You need to go get Colonel Sheppard and the others."

The younger man shook his head. "No sir, I am not going to leave you behind."

Before Carson could voice any further objections, another scream pierced the air. Carson jumped slightly, and both men looked around anxiously. There was nothing to be seen but the dark outlines of bushes and trees, the darkness hiding any possible threats.

Carson swallowed involuntarily, reaching for his weapon. Williams already had his out and was carefully surveying their surroundings. Straining his eyes, Carson could just make out a shaking in the bushes at the far end of the clearing.

"Williams –" He barely had time to voice a warning before a dark form slunk through the brush.

The other man had seen it as well, and several shots rang through the night. It was impossible to tell if any of the bullets found their mark, as the animal did not slow. Its sleek build allowed it to twist in mid air, and it seemed to avoid with surprising ease any shots sent its way. It was upon them the next moment, and it let out a scream as it pounced. Williams' gun rang out again, and the animal dropped to the ground.

The soldier bent over the creature, gun still at the ready as he checked if it was still a threat. He straightened a moment later, giving Carson a thumbs-up signal. "All –"

But before he could finish, another large cat sprang through the bushes. The animal seemed to have its sights set on the easy prey against the tree. Williams barely had enough time to bring his weapon to bear before the animal was on top of Carson.

A large open mouth was the last thing Carson saw before he found himself laid out with the creature on top of him. His survival instincts had taken over, and he found himself wrestling to keep the massive jaws and their share of large, sharp teeth from his neck.

He could feel the claws digging into his side, tearing deeply as the animal wrestled for the kill. Fire shot through his left arm as the large cat bit down, and he couldn't help the cry of pain as the teeth pierced his shoulder. Before the pressure could snap any bones, however, the crack of another shot sounded and the animal let up. It leaped off of Carson, its attention now turned towards the new threat.

Another man had joined Williams in the clearing, and the soldiers had their weapons trained on the attacking animal. They each squeezed off another shot, one hitting the cat in the shoulder, spinning it to the right. It yowled in pain but regained its footing surprisingly quickly. Unshaken, they pulled the triggers again, and this time the animal dropped to the ground and stayed where it had fallen.

John kept his gun aimed at the creature as he checked that it was no longer a danger. Satisfied, he hurried to Carson's side, leaving Williams to keep an eye out for any further threats.

Carson was beginning to feel the combined effects of his multiple injuries, and the worried face above him began to blur and fade to black. He could vaguely hear John's voice calling his name, and a little voice in the back of his brain told him he needed to stay awake. The drowsiness overrode what John and his medical training were telling him, and his surroundings slowly disappeared as he drifted into sweet oblivion.

**WMWMWMWMWMWMWMW**

He didn't know how much time had passed before he came to, but he could tell where he was by the familiar smell of antiseptic. He had spent enough time in the infirmary to know he was safely back on Atlantis.

It took a little effort, but he managed to pry his eyelids open. Turning his head to the side, his eyes landed on Rodney.

The other man was slumped in a seat next to the hospital bed, a half-eaten cup of Jello in the hand resting on the chair's armrest. His chest rose and fell in rhythm with the slight snores coming from his partially open mouth.

Carson smiled, wincing a little at the pain that shot up his side at the expression. "Rodney?"

"Carson!" Rodney shot up in his seat, his eyes suddenly wide open. "You're awake!" He waved at one of the nurses. "How are you feeling?"

"Well," Carson coughed slightly, "I did just have a bit of a tussle with several large cats and was introduced rather roughly to the ground. I'd say I'm doing fairly well considering."

"Oh, right, of course," Rodney nodded, grinning sheepishly. "I'm, uh, I'm sorry about what happened. Our scans didn't indicate anything about, well, you know. Anything about the cats."

"Don't worry too much about what happened out there," Carson assured him. "I'm a little sore, but I think I'll be fine."

"He has a concussion, several bruised ribs, and multiple lacerations," supplied the nurse, coming up beside the bed. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave now, Dr. McKay. We just need to run some tests to make sure everything is up to normal. You should be able to come back in about an hour."

"Yes, of course." Rodney nodded, standing. He headed for the door, turning back just as he reached it. "I'm, uh, glad you're okay. And I'll, uh, be sure and update the database on the planet."

Carson smiled slightly as Rodney disappeared through the doorway before leaning back into his pillows. Rodney would need a little more encouragement before he let go of his guilt over what had happened, but Carson would worry about that later. For now … For now he would just relax and enjoy the drugs that would allow him to get some much-needed rest.


End file.
